Newark Castle £4.9m development plans submitted

The council says it hopes to bring in more visitors to the attraction

Part of a 12th Century castle badly damaged during the English Civil War is to be transformed into a £4.9m tourist attraction, if plans are approved.

Newark and Sherwood District Council, which owns the site of Newark Castle, has submitted a planning application to allow work to progress on the gatehouse, first outlined in 2015.

The council hopes permission will allow it to apply for government funding.

The authority's leader said the plans would boost visitor numbers.

'Treasure'

The council said the plans were part of a project to restore the gatehouse and give additional interpretation about the landmark.

The proposals also include a new entrance on Beastmarket Hill, an accessible entrance pavilion, a visitor reception in the grounds and a separate facility to host educational activities and events.

The project has been ongoing for almost a decade and the council - which is also the planning authority - said there had been work carried out to progress the plans, obtain permissions and develop funding sources.

If plans proceed as hoped, the development is expected to open in about four years.

The council says almost a decade of work has gone into the plans

David Lloyd, the council leader, said: "Newark is synonymous with its castle."

He said the council aimed to work collaboratively with the Newark's funding board to "restore and enhance what is arguably one of the town's most beautiful and well-known treasures".

"This project is an opportunity to make sure Newark Castle can be enjoyed for many more generations to come, as well as boosting both our visitor numbers and our pride in the area," he said.

The town was invited by the government to develop proposals for economic recovery as part of its Towns Fund, part of which it hopes will help fund the project.

It also plans to bid for £1.3m from the Heritage Lottery Fund for the scheme.